CompuServe Thread

Yes, there are blue diamonds and pink diamonds and all colors of diamonds. The most popular kind is the clear or white diamond. I am not sure what structurally makes a blue diamond blue, but any white diamond can be irradiated to become blue. So, if you buy a blue diamond, you must find whether it is a natural or a synthetically altered blue diamond. Myself, I would not consider such a purchase because both types are more expensive than the white of the same quality (the four C's: cut, carat, color, clarity). The color of the diamond can also be yellow, but this is not considered good unless the diamond is extremely yellow. Any other yellowish diamond is considered to have a poor color. The range gemologists use is D-Z. A D-color diamond is considered to be as white as a diamond can be. THese are the most expensive and are very rare. One thing to look out for is some one trying to sell you a "blue/white" diamond. This is not an accepted term by the GIA (gemological institute of America) and anyone using this term doesn't know a thing about diamonds. THe color range above gets increasingly more yellow or brown as you go to G then H. Most diamonds in rings are I color or better but some people sacrifice color for other properties of the diamond (like carat, mass). After this color "breakoff" the diamonds are used for bracelets, necklaces, and earings, for the most part. The Fancy colors (any diamond with a true alternate color) are down in the X-Z range of the color grade. As I said before, stick to the white diamond unless someone is specifically asking for a blue or pink diamond (yes, pink is very popular in diamonds–they are mined mainly in the Australian diamond mines). Also, be sure someone at the store you purchase your diamond has a GIA degree. Go to more than one store, asking all of them to teach you about diamonds and the grading process. The one that gives the best explanation is probably the store to buy from. Finally, don't buy diamonds as an investment. Almost any other investment is better than diamonds. And if you want to be involved with diamonds, buy stock in the diamond trade. Hope this helps Eric (Chemist whose family is a bunch of gemologists-they had me get the degree also)

There are diamonds of several colors, including blue. But colors are caused by impurities in the gemstone, not any special structure of carbon: as far as that goes, diamond is diamond is diamond.

Will, > Is there such thing as a blue diamond. I was telling a friend about the structure of a diamond when she suggested I buy a blue diamond, which has a structure of 1 carbon, instead of the 4 carbon one I know (or is it five). anyways, she said she read it out of a Micheal Criton book so I'm thinking its made up. < Actually, Crichton – a doctor and former writer in residence at MIT – is pretty good at sticking to general reality in his stories. (Generally.) The blue diamond stuff is from the novel "Congo" which Crichton is currently turning into a movie. (For an example of him getting something wrong, he originally thought that the role of the 'signing ape' could be played by a real signing ape. Then, he found out that the signing ape business was generally a lot of hype. Funny how the movie business has a way of bringing even academia to book…) … Mark

Will, All the other responses left out one very important comment. Are there blue diamonds? Of course there are, just take a look at one of the most famous of all–the Hope diamond! Lanny